As we come to this passage in the book of Revelation we see the prophecies of the 5th and 6th Trumpet Judgments. These two judgments are sometimes hard to understand because of the “apocalyptic” literature that is used in the passages.

Let me remind you that the first four Trumpet Judgments are found in Revelation 8. The last Trumpet is inRevelation 11. The fifth and sixth Trumpet Judgments are basically the foretelling of an “invasion from outer space” and the “killing on the earth of one third of the population worldwide at that time in history”.

Verses 1-12 are the 5th Trumpet Judgment and verses 13-21 are the 6th Trumpet Judgment. John writes what he is told to write about these seemingly very strange judgments. Let me see if I can help you to understand what the Lord wants us to know about these judgments.

The appearance on the earth of “locusts”, in the 5th Trumpet, is that invasion by evil angels, from outer space, onto the earth. These are “evil” angels that had been in the “bottomless pit” for almost 4,500 years, from the time they were sent there because of “fornication”,Jude 6 and 7, until this time in the Tribulation.

Now the Lord allows Satan, “with the key to the bottomless pit” to release these 200 million angels,verse 16, upon the earth, to bring judgment on the “earth dwellers” as one of the judgments to bring them under subjection.

By the way, these locusts are not like any locusts that I’ve ever seen, not like regular “grasshoppers”. The text gives a description of the “evil angels” in the form that took upon themselves to invade the earth,verses 7-10.

Verse 18reveals to us the death of one third of the earths population, which means that one half of the total population of humankind will be killed in the Tribulation,Revelation 6:7-8. That would mean there would be three and one half billion people killed, at our present population.

You might ask why I would select this passage for our daily devotionals. First of all, it is the Word of God, which is “profitable”, II Timothy 3:16-17. In addition, it is “prophetic” , it warns us of the judgments to come.

But also, it is “practical”, in that it helps us to know what is ahead so that we can warn our lost friends and love-ones so that they might consider doing what is necessary to escape these judgments to come, by trusting Jesus Christ for salvation, before it is eternally to late.

PRAYER THOT: Help me Lord to be a witness today to those that might not know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, before they would have to face these Trumpet Judgments. Thank you for my salvation, which keeps me from this terrible time of judgment.